About Cosby Campground
Cosby Campground is the quiet corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 157 shaded sites at 2,459 feet in the northeast section, with flush toilets, drinking water and a seasonal dump station, but no hookups or showers. When Elkmont is full in summer and October, Cosby often still has sites.
2026 season
The Park Service lists the campground as closed from October 25, 2026 to May 15, 2027, so plan on October 25 as the last night of the 2026 season. Reservations are required and open up to six months ahead on recreation.gov. The fee is $30 per site per night, up to six people per site. RVs up to 25 feet fit; there are no hookups. The Cosby campground page lists details.
From your campsite
The Cosby Nature Trail loops through the campground area, and the Gabes Mountain Trail starts just outside the campground at the hiker parking lot. The Park Service rates the walk to Hen Wallow Falls, a 90-foot waterfall, at 4.3 miles round trip. Other trails climb toward the Appalachian Trail. Cosby Knob Shelter and some backcountry sites remain closed; see the closures page.
Getting there
Cosby is on the Tennessee side, reached from I-40 exit 432 or US-321. It is roughly 45 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg by road, so base here for quiet rather than convenience. The nearest groceries and gas are in Cosby and Newport. A parking tag is not required at your campsite, but it is required anywhere else in the park, and federal passes do not replace it.
Rules
Check-in is at 1 p.m. and check-out at noon. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet are allowed in the campground and on roads, not on trails. Black bears are active here, so store food in your vehicle.
Good to know
- How many sites does Cosby Campground have?
- 157 sites. Season: Seasonal. Closes Oct 25, 2026; reopens May 15, 2027..
- How do I reserve a site?
- Reservations for national park campgrounds are made on recreation.gov. Summer and October weekends book up early.
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.